Faithful or Lazy?

Luke 19:11-28

¹¹ As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. ¹² He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ¹³ Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. ¹⁶ The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ²⁰ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; ²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has [even what he thinks he has] will be taken away. ²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” ²⁸ And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

After Jesus has “dined with sinners” by sharing a meal with Zacchaeus, He tells one more parable. The beginning of this text tells us that Jesus is quite near Jerusalem and thus His Passion. The Kingdom of God is at hand like never before and the telling of the parable is perfectly placed.

First of all, this parable is not about stewardship. Well, not primarily anyway. This is a parable about the arrival of the Kingdom of God and our response to that event. If you take the disposal of goods and possessions out of the interpretation of this parable, you will find that it becomes pretty clear that Jesus is talking about Himself as King and the response of the people who hear about His coming.

The possessions motif is here a subsidiary to a political one. The story is about a king who goes to get a kingdom, gets it despite opposition, and returns to establish that rule by getting rid of his rivals for power and placing in positions of authority over cities the slaves who have shown themselves trustworthy. The parable is therefore “about” the successful establishment of a kingdom. Clearly, the hearers of this teaching expected that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, God’s kingdom would come immediately. The urgency of their hopes arise from Jesus’ proximity to Jerusalem, the city of messianic expectations. How ironic that the crowds and disciples were right in hoping that the kingdom would come promptly when Jesus entered Jerusalem, for the kingdom does come when Jesus suffers, enters his glory, and breaks bread at Emmaus. However, they did not expect the kingdom to come in the way it did.

L. T. Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, 292.

It is interesting to note that Jesus uses actual historical events to shape this story. Two of the Herods (the Judean leaders placed in authority by Rome) did make journeys to Rome to petition the Caesars to grant them “kingships”.

On one level this parable could be heard and interpreted without any reference to Christ, as an illustration of kingship as experienced by the Herods. There were two well-known historical incidents that would be fresh in the minds of Jesus’ hearers. Both Herod the Great and (later) his son Archelaus set off on journeys to gain the kingship over Israel. A delegation of Jews followed Archelaus to Rome to protest his accession to the throne. Both kings well deserved the label “severe”, since they thought nothing of killing any who got in their way, including their own relatives. This parable could be heard as describing the kind of king most Jews had experienced under Herod the Great and his sons. People hated the leadership of Herod and his family and the way he used political favors. For those who used their “minas” wisely, Herod appointed ten towns here, five towns there; those who did not use their “minas” wisely he punished by slaughtering them. Herod was a ruthless king who ruled with vengeance.

Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (p. 730). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Now as we read the story we find that Jesus is speaking of Himself and His own journey from heaven, to earth, into death, resurrection, ascension, and finally a return on the clouds. This parable is first and foremost a description of His journey to secure our salvation. Along the way, we are swept up into His Kingdom and we can either follow Him, acting as His citizens or we can reject His rule and squander His gifts. The nobleman is first and foremost a giver of gifts. It is important to note here also that the slave who does not increase what he has been given is not cast out, as in a similar parable told in Matthew. His work may prove worthless, but he is still saved by grace.